How long is South of Midnight?

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

How many chapters in South of Midnight, and how long is it to beat the game altogether? Ultimately it's a shorter game that could be blown through in a few good evenings of play, and we'll cover the various playtimes and how long it is to beat below. We'll also cover how many chapters there are, but that can be a slightly misrepresentative figure, as the chapters in South of Midnight aren't exactly all of equivalent length. Still, let's look at some numbers so you know how long Hazel's journey is likely to last.

How many chapters in South of Midnight?

South of Midnight has 14 chapters in total, a number which can give you some sense of where you are in the story itself. However, I noticed when playing that these chapters are highly variable in how long they actually take to complete – some can last a few minutes, others the best part of an hour.

How long to beat South of Midnight?

South of Midnight screenshot — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

South of Midnight will take roughly 10-12 hours to beat for most players, up to 15 if you're looking to find all the collectibles and extra content.

So no, it's not very long, and players will probably breeze through it in a few evenings. The game is ultimately pretty linear, without much opportunity to explore optional gameplay beyond a few tributary paths and secret routes. There are a fair few of these, but most are done in minutes at the very most – again, it's a pretty linear game.

Explaining the length and pacing, Gameplay Director Jasmin Roy told GamesRadar+ that: "We always knew it was going to be a game that had a momentum of narrative," Roy says of the Southern Gothic adventure, with the game encompassing "a 24 hour period which also informed us of the kind of scale of the world we wanted to build. Because, you know, you're trying to find your mother. She disappeared. There's a kind of urgency to it that makes it feel like we do want you to explore, but it needs to support the momentum of Hazel's journey."

So yeah – it's a pretty slender game, but it makes sense as to why. If you're setting off on that journey yourself, why not make use of our South of Midnight tips to give yourself the best chance out in the swamps of Prospero?

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

With contributions from

Jasmine Gould-WilsonSenior Staff Writer, GamesRadar+

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